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European Ultra-Union
The European Ultra-Union is a superpower in Juubi-K's Code Geass fanfictions 'The Sum of Our Choices' and 'One and Only Son.' Geography Members The EU's primary Member-states include all states in what is traditionally considered Europe, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Malta,the Russian Federation, and Turkey. History Age of Revolution The process that would see the birth of the EU began in the last decade of the eighteenth century AD. The French Revolution, in itself caused by a combination of a powerless Crown, an empty treasury, and economic turmoil, saw the popularization of many new social and political ideas. It also saw considerable human suffering, as the comparitively genial revolution that saw the fall of the Bastille mutated into violent and bloodthirsty terror, motivated in part by the military threat posed to France by its neighbours. It was in this environment that Napoleon Bonaparte rose through the ranks of the French army, later entering into politics. As Consul, First Consul, and Emperor in 1804 AD, Napoleon would defeat every army sent against him, and make himself master of Europe. In 1807 AD, he would add Great Britain to his already long list of conquests. The beginning of the end came in 1812, with the catastrophic failure of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The fate of Europe hung in the balance until October 18th, 1813 AD, when Napoleon's armies were defeated at Leipzig. The German states, who had previously been French allies, switched sides as one, accompanied by a previously quiescent Britain. Napoleon abdicated in 1814, spending a brief exile on the Island of Elba before returning to France in a desperate, though successful, bid to regain power. His second reign came to an end after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, after which he lived out what remained of his life in exile on the Atlantic island of St Helena. Rumours abounded that his death resulted from poison in his food, the work of a Britannian assassin. A New World The period of conflict that would later be called the Napoleonic Wars had left Europe in ruins and hundred of thousands dead. The old order had been restored, at least on the surface, but it was generally acknowledged that nothing would ever be the same again. The purpose of the Congress of Vienna, as a series of meetings held in that city were referred to afterwards, was to solidify the balance of power in Europe, and thus ensure that such a conflagration would never happen again. This proved a pipe dream, as the social and political forces unleashed by the French Revolution would not be so easily calmed. Peace brought with it the resumption of the Enlightenment. Science and industry spread across Europe, bringing with them new ideas and hard choices. Industrialization promised prosperity and power, but threatened the destruction of traditional ways of life. Science brought with it enlightenment and progress, but brought into question old certainties and never-questioned truths. The changes wrought by these forces created a new order in European societies, a new division of upper, middle and lower classes. At the bottom, peasant farmers fled their fields for the growing cities, forming an ever-growing industrial proletariat. In the middle, educated professionals enjoyed new-found wealth and status. In the upper echelons, the landed aristocracy found their prestige threatened by wealthy industrialists. At the very top of the pyramid, Europe's crowned heads found their power threatened by a growing call for electoral reform, or maybe even revolution. Rising Powers A New Century Britannia Delenda Est Goverment The Council of Ministers (C-Min) The Council of Ministers, often called C-Min, represents the highest level of government in the EU, its President being the nearest thing the EU has to a Head of State. Its members consist of appointed representatives of the government of each member state, along with representatives of the Directorates. The council acts effectively as a cabinet, making high-level decisions in meetings chaired by the President, acting as the final arbiter in all EU-wide legislative matters. The President has theoretically wide-ranging powers, able to act as the EU's Head of State in contexts considered appropriate, but is in practice primus inter pares with the rest of the council, from whose members the President is chosen by formal ballot. The council may put policy before the Central Hemicycle, veto bills passed by the aforesaid, and act without the aforesaid's cooperation in situations covered by the 'Clear and Present Danger' clause in the Constitution. However, the Council of Ministers is subject at all times and in all circumstances to the oversight of the Council of Magistrates. The Central Hemicycle (Cent-Hem) The Central Hemicycle acts as the democratically-elected legislature of the the EU, it's members chosen from each member-state by popular ballot. The Hemicycle, often dubbed Cent-Hem, has control of the Budget, and must debate all motions put to it before coming to a vote, the debates being chaired by the Speaker. A motion once passed is then subjected to the Council of Magistrates, to ensure that it is neither illegal nor unconstitutional, and to the Council of Ministers, who may send it back or strike it down outright. Cent-Hem may overturn any act taken by the Council of Ministers by a two-thirds vote, so long as that act is not covered by the 'Clear and Present Danger' clause. The same vote is needed to force the resignation of the President of the Council of Ministers, along with a ruling from the Council of Magistrates. Cent-Hem represents a forum in which the electorates of the member states may have their opinions aired, without interference by national governments and their interests (which find expression on the Council of Ministers). It is nonetheless divided by the desires and interests of those who find representation there, especially with regard to foreign policy matters. This was illustrated in the response to the Britannian invasion of Japan in 1955 AD (2010 ATB), with Cent-Hem divided between factions favouring military action, further economic sanctions, negotiations, and isolationism. The Peace faction gained influence over time, almost bringing about a negotiated peace with Britannia in July of 1963 AD (2018 ATB). The Council of Magistrates (C-Mag) The Council of Magistrates, sometimes called C-Mag, acts as the EU government's judicial branch. Much like the Britannian Supreme Court, it is made up of justices serving for life, each member state providing one member. It's purpose is also much the same, to provide judicial oversight of all government functions and reserving the power to establish legal precedent. It represents the highest legal authority in the EU, overseeing the EU Courts of Justice, Human Rights, and First Instance, which may be petitioned by any citizen. In legislative matters, the council has the power to strike down or force alteration to any motion which it regards as contravening the Constitution or the Law. The Council Royal (C-Rex) A somewhat unusual entity, the Council Royal exists to handle matters relating to monarchical and related institutions within the EU. It is made up of members of European Royal families, their representatives, and in recent years has taken to appointing representatives of major monarchist groups. It has no lawmaking power as such, it's role in government being purely advisory. It has, however, attracted hostility from anti-monarchist movements, who choose to regard it as a means by which European royalty interfere in government. There is, and has never been, any evidence to substantiate these claims, all European monarchies being constitutional. The council has however been used by Europe's Crowned heads to discuss and align their positions on certain matters, most notably relations with Britannia. The Directorates The Directorates, as they are generally known, are among the most controversial arms of the EU. Created after the EU-Soviet War, their purpose was to act as open forums in which members of certain professions could meet, cooperate, and pool knowledge. The European Medical Directorate, or EUROMED, was the first to be created, though EUROSEC had existed for somewhat longer in practice. Over time the Directorates grew in power and influence as their members became more and more accustomed to working together, unencumbered by national borders, to the point where several of them effectively dominate the functions they represent. The Directorates are as follows; EUROMED - the medical profession EUROLEX - the legal profession EUROPOL - police EUROARMPOL - armed police EUROCIV - civil services EUROFORCE - pan-EU rapid-reaction force EUROSEC - secret services Demographics and Society European society is highly diverse, and different to that of Britannia in many ways. Both the EU and State governments profess commitment to Human Rights, enshrined in the EU Constitution, of which all Member States are signatories. Many features of the EU's approach to Human Rights result from Europe's recent history, in which there existed highly abusive and dictatorial governments who used law enforcement apparatus to enforce social control, silence dissent, and persecute individuals and groups whom they found objectionable for whatever reason. In the modern EU, freedom of speech and expression is near-absolute, with only incitement to crime and abusive pornography being in any way restricted. No person may be held in custody for more than two days without charge, and access to legal counsel is guaranteed under all circumstances. EUROPOL and EUROARMPOL are subject to independent oversight by EUROJUST. Corporal punishment, torture, and Capital punishment are utterly forbidden, with even the 'Clear and Present Danger' option being removed after the EU-Soviet war and the 'Islamic Terrorism' scandals. The EU enjoys a thriving civil society, operating on the informal principle of Do what thou wilt if it harm none. On this basis, any lifestyle is concievably acceptable so long as it does not contravene the law. Europeans for the most part find this to their liking, and tend to react badly to any opposition to it, reactions ranging from amused dismissal to outright hostility. This led to the saying; Europeans believe in nothing, and will defend it to the death. Civil society has becoming increasingly European over the years, with ideas and relationships crossing borders as easily as capital and goods. The result is a series of compound identities in which people identify with their Member States as well as Europe as a whole. As a side effect of its openness, the EU has a diverse political fringe, encompassing both left and right-wing. The far-left is for the most part harmless, though Soviet sympathisers were treated with great suspicion both before and during the EU-Soviet war. The far-right is no more credible, but considered far more dangerous in that it is more likely on the whole to engage in violence. Its beliefs vary, usually along themes of blood-and-soil nationalism and hostility to ethnic, cultural, or religious minorities and alternative lifestyles. The one thing that unites them is hatred of the EU itself, though for differing reasons. Rightists of a religious bent oppose the EU's secularism, seeing it as oppressing religious believers and brainwashing children into atheism. Nationalists oppose what they see as the gradual dissolution of the nation-state, and the mixing of peoples and cultures that results from it. Extremists on both left and right have at times turned to terrorism, using violence to get back at a society that not only ignores and belittles them, but in their eyes seeks to destroy all that they cherish. This has had the effect of delegitimizing opposition to the EU, whether opposition to its existence or more specific concerns. The EU's attitude to social status is deeply nuanced. Contrary to popular opinion outside the EU, the idea that every person is inherently equal never really caught on. In the modern EU, it is generally accepted that people possess different talents and capacities, and will as such occupy different rungs on the social ladder. The idea underlying 'equality' is that the aforementioned fact should have no bearing on the indefinable worth of the human person. All citizens, regardless of their income or background, are equally subject to the law. A person may acquire and possess as much wealth as they desire, so long as they do so by legitimate means. If such a person commits crimes, then no amount of wealth should protect him from legal sanction. In the modern EU, this is broadly the case. Heraldic titles still exist in some Member States (notably the Kingdom of Great Britain) but these do not carry the sort of power they would bring in Britannia. Titles are often hereditary, but may also be awarded to eminent persons, including famous scientists, academics, and humanitarians. The majority of Europeans do not much object to this, nor to the inequality of wealth that exists in European society, so long as they themselves are able to live comfortably. With healthcare and education up to University level provided by the state as public services, ordinary Europeans have little to fear from poverty in any case. Universities tend to be fee-paying, with generous bursaries provided to those lacking the necessary income. Economy Military The EU's military, sometimes referred to as the Combined Forces, is provided primarily by the individual Member states, their various forces being referred-to as 'State armies' in common parlance. Though some differences in equipment and doctrine remain, the State forces have gradually improved their interoperability, and are capable of effective cooperation in the field at all levels. Equipment has become increasingly standardized, in part due to corporate mergers in the arms industry and recent developments in weapons technology. An increasing number of EU weapons are provided by multinational cooperative programmes, including all of the EU's Knightmare Frames. Task forces in a given theatre are embodied on a 'national contingents' basis wherever possible, to minimize friction between commanders. Multinational task forces are usually commanded by EUROFORCE officers and staffs. EU military doctrine in the 21st century ATB is distinctly defensive, with limited expeditionary capability. Power projection is handled primarily by EUROFORCE, backed by State navies and air forces. EUROFORCE, as the Pan-European Rapid-reaction Corps has become known, has undergone many evolutions in its history. Established as PERC shortly before the EU-Soviet War, it was intended as a Peacekeeping force. During the war, PERC's mobility led it to be deployed across multiple theatres, gaining it a credibility with both the State forces and the public it had previously lacked. PERC's multinational composition, far from being a weakness, proved to be a great strength. Like the Directorates, PERC had also become a forum in which officers from different State forces could share ideas with relative freedom. PERC's reward for its part in the EU-Soviet War was to be promoted to full Directorate status, gaining the name EUROFORCE, as part of the 1942 (1996 ATB) Treaty of Unification, which saw the formation of the European Ultra-Union. EUROFORCE's direct military role remained that of a rapid-reaction force, though its overall competencies were significantly expanded. The Research, Development, and Acquisitions (RDA) Department was given competency to oversee and organize military research and equipment acquisitions across the EU. The Strategos Corps developed a tactical and strategic training programme considered second-to-none in Europe. EUROFORCE's expanded role earned it the enmity of anti-unificationists, but it was regarded as an honest broker by the State forces, all of which were represented within its command structure. The most recent addition to EUROFORCE was the Paladin Corps, which acted as the organization's knightmare cadre. By 2018 ATB, EUROFORCE's combat strength consisted of 30x Air Assault Brigades and 12x Independent Knightmare Squadrons, totally approximately 100,000 combat personnel. Captains of the Independent squadrons are given the courtesy title of Squadron Commander. Famous and Infamous Europeans King Michael of Great Britain Miguel Gandolfy Richard Dressler Category:Nations